Upcoming Event: Softball versus Southern Utah on February 6, 2026 at 4 p.m.
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4 p.m.
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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: Skyler Coblentz
Nicoletti steals bases, gives leadership
4/14/2022 10:30:00 AM | Softball, Paul Coro
GCU senior ranks 3rd in nation with 35 steals, 3rd in WAC with .415 hitting
For someone who moves like a blur in all phases of life, Grand Canyon softball star Gianna Nicoletti is sharply focused.
That blend comes with how quickly she zips along base paths to be among the nation's top three base stealers, how rapidly she picked up her bachelor's degree to start a master's program as a senior, or how swiftly she went from an injured high school player who most colleges stopped recruiting to the player who they wish they had at the top of their batting orders.
WAC-leading GCU will record its 100th stolen base this weekend at Seattle U and there is a good chance that Nicoletti will be the thief, given how she ranks third nationally with 35 steals, twice as many as any conference player, and ranks in the top 50 nationally and third in the WAC for batting average at .415.
That moment will come in a week when the 5-foot-2 dynamo stood above all her GCU student-athlete peers at a ceremony that named her as the female winner of the Roland L. Beck Scholar-Athlete Award, the Lopes' most prestigious honor encompassing athletic, academic and community contributions. She also is one of 30 national softball finalists for the Senior CLASS Award.
"She brings energy, happiness and good vibes to your team, but she also brings competitiveness," Lopes head coach Shanon Hays said. "She's not happy if she doesn't do well, but she knows how to handle it. She's the perfect blend of competitor and maturity. She sees the big picture, like a coach would. And she's also a great Christian kid. It's hard to find anything wrong with her. It kind of bothers me."
Hays jokes about that, but not as often as her height, even though she is a big reason why the Lopes are 27-10, already eight wins more than last season, and lead the WAC West Division at 10-2. That puts GCU on track for its goal to earn the program's first NCAA Division I tournament trip as Nicoletti prepares for her 140th career start on Friday.
"I really couldn't have imagined myself anywhere else, just because what this school has done and what this program has done is something cool to be a part of," Nicoletti said. "It's cool to see all the success around campus and all the different Athletics programs that have done that. I hope this can be the team or we set up the teams coming up. It's going to happen and it's going to be soon."
Every coach could not envision where Nicoletti was headed when the Fullerton, California, native tore her right knee's ACL in the season opener of her junior season at Orange Lutheran High School. Nearly every college recruiter's interest peeled off at the time, except for then-Lopes head coach Ann Pierson.
But her father, John, would have told any of them that Nicoletti was destined to play softball because he saw her start the sport at 4 years old and have a defining moment at age 7.
As the tiniest kid in an 8-and-under all-star game, Nicoletti was playing outfield for the first time when she called time out and ran to the mound after her pitcher threw consecutive two-out walks in the final inning.
"My little self runs up to this girl who was way taller than me and was like, 'Hey, you're good. You got this. We have two outs. You're going to pitch the next ball and get out of the inning. Thanks,' " Nicoletti said. "And I ran back and we got out of the inning. That's how I am."
Off the field, Nicoletti has the warmth to do scores of volunteer work, including impactful hospital visits to pediatric cancer patients, while being a model Honors College student with a 3.98 GPA, a bachelor's degree in English for Secondary Education and a track to earn an Education master's degree in September.
On the field, she plays with ice in her veins.
From the moment she stepped onto the GCU Softball Stadium field, Nicoletti held herself to the highest standard and initially thought she should be crushing balls like the seniors, including Shea and Sierra Smith.
Nicoletti hit .218 as a freshman starter and leaped to .392 as a sophomore. She stole 11 bases in her first two seasons combined and has raced to 63 in the past two seasons combined.
Every offseason, she has embraced her game as a hitter who turns on a dime out of the box to beat out bunts, slaps and grounders before getting into scoring position with impeccable timing on her speed burst to steal bases.
"Gianna overall is the most explosive player I've ever had and I've had some great players at the top of the lineup," Hays said. "But when you put her quickness, her great hand-eye, her knowledge of the zone along with her instinctive base-running and explosiveness on the base paths, she just has the intangibles that you can't coach."
After a year was taken away from her for the knee injury, Nicoletti was determined to make each one count at GCU with dedication to specific improvements. Even during this senior season, Nicoletti has continued to build her game. Since March 18, the WAC hits and runs leader is batting .490.
"My best bet is my small ball," Nicoletti said. "I worked really hard over the summers on getting my pivot strong so I can beat balls to first. My sophomore year, I got better at it but I got tired of being called out on plays that were too close. Every year, I found something to work on. I really tried to embrace the role of a table-setter."
The rest of the lineup has thrived off the offensive buffet she sets. GCU's .332 team hitting ranks ninth nationally and the 99 stolen bases are second most.
Nicoletti is one of only six returnees on Hays' first Lopes roster, but the left fielder proved to be an ideal fit for the style he implemented.
"I was really excited when he first called me and told me that he likes speed and we're going to be aggressive," Nicoletti said. "I couldn't have been more excited. I was like, 'Yup, this is going to be fun. We're going to have a great time.' "
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That blend comes with how quickly she zips along base paths to be among the nation's top three base stealers, how rapidly she picked up her bachelor's degree to start a master's program as a senior, or how swiftly she went from an injured high school player who most colleges stopped recruiting to the player who they wish they had at the top of their batting orders.
WAC-leading GCU will record its 100th stolen base this weekend at Seattle U and there is a good chance that Nicoletti will be the thief, given how she ranks third nationally with 35 steals, twice as many as any conference player, and ranks in the top 50 nationally and third in the WAC for batting average at .415.
That moment will come in a week when the 5-foot-2 dynamo stood above all her GCU student-athlete peers at a ceremony that named her as the female winner of the Roland L. Beck Scholar-Athlete Award, the Lopes' most prestigious honor encompassing athletic, academic and community contributions. She also is one of 30 national softball finalists for the Senior CLASS Award."She brings energy, happiness and good vibes to your team, but she also brings competitiveness," Lopes head coach Shanon Hays said. "She's not happy if she doesn't do well, but she knows how to handle it. She's the perfect blend of competitor and maturity. She sees the big picture, like a coach would. And she's also a great Christian kid. It's hard to find anything wrong with her. It kind of bothers me."
Hays jokes about that, but not as often as her height, even though she is a big reason why the Lopes are 27-10, already eight wins more than last season, and lead the WAC West Division at 10-2. That puts GCU on track for its goal to earn the program's first NCAA Division I tournament trip as Nicoletti prepares for her 140th career start on Friday.
"I really couldn't have imagined myself anywhere else, just because what this school has done and what this program has done is something cool to be a part of," Nicoletti said. "It's cool to see all the success around campus and all the different Athletics programs that have done that. I hope this can be the team or we set up the teams coming up. It's going to happen and it's going to be soon."Every coach could not envision where Nicoletti was headed when the Fullerton, California, native tore her right knee's ACL in the season opener of her junior season at Orange Lutheran High School. Nearly every college recruiter's interest peeled off at the time, except for then-Lopes head coach Ann Pierson.
But her father, John, would have told any of them that Nicoletti was destined to play softball because he saw her start the sport at 4 years old and have a defining moment at age 7.As the tiniest kid in an 8-and-under all-star game, Nicoletti was playing outfield for the first time when she called time out and ran to the mound after her pitcher threw consecutive two-out walks in the final inning.
"My little self runs up to this girl who was way taller than me and was like, 'Hey, you're good. You got this. We have two outs. You're going to pitch the next ball and get out of the inning. Thanks,' " Nicoletti said. "And I ran back and we got out of the inning. That's how I am."
Off the field, Nicoletti has the warmth to do scores of volunteer work, including impactful hospital visits to pediatric cancer patients, while being a model Honors College student with a 3.98 GPA, a bachelor's degree in English for Secondary Education and a track to earn an Education master's degree in September.
On the field, she plays with ice in her veins.From the moment she stepped onto the GCU Softball Stadium field, Nicoletti held herself to the highest standard and initially thought she should be crushing balls like the seniors, including Shea and Sierra Smith.
Nicoletti hit .218 as a freshman starter and leaped to .392 as a sophomore. She stole 11 bases in her first two seasons combined and has raced to 63 in the past two seasons combined.
Every offseason, she has embraced her game as a hitter who turns on a dime out of the box to beat out bunts, slaps and grounders before getting into scoring position with impeccable timing on her speed burst to steal bases.
"Gianna overall is the most explosive player I've ever had and I've had some great players at the top of the lineup," Hays said. "But when you put her quickness, her great hand-eye, her knowledge of the zone along with her instinctive base-running and explosiveness on the base paths, she just has the intangibles that you can't coach."
After a year was taken away from her for the knee injury, Nicoletti was determined to make each one count at GCU with dedication to specific improvements. Even during this senior season, Nicoletti has continued to build her game. Since March 18, the WAC hits and runs leader is batting .490.
"My best bet is my small ball," Nicoletti said. "I worked really hard over the summers on getting my pivot strong so I can beat balls to first. My sophomore year, I got better at it but I got tired of being called out on plays that were too close. Every year, I found something to work on. I really tried to embrace the role of a table-setter."The rest of the lineup has thrived off the offensive buffet she sets. GCU's .332 team hitting ranks ninth nationally and the 99 stolen bases are second most.
Nicoletti is one of only six returnees on Hays' first Lopes roster, but the left fielder proved to be an ideal fit for the style he implemented.
"I was really excited when he first called me and told me that he likes speed and we're going to be aggressive," Nicoletti said. "I couldn't have been more excited. I was like, 'Yup, this is going to be fun. We're going to have a great time.' "
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